Recently in class here at the Focus Leadership Institute, we discussed some of the core principles of what it means to be a leader. One of our assignments was to go on a photo hunt to photograph representative symbols of these characteristics in a visual way…if this is homework, then I’ve got it made this semester. The next few post will be photographs around character traits our group chose.

Humility

I took this picture at Horn Creek deep in the Colorado mountains. I got the chance to wander alone into to the woods and stare at the stars. Beyond just taking my breath away (along with the chilly weather), I couldn’t help but a feel tiny. Almost anytime I gaze at the stars now, I remember a quote from an ARTISTS member and friend, Thalia:

“When you look up in the night sky, you see many stars. We are like the stars. Some shine no matter how dark the sky is and others are never seen. This doesn’t mean you don’t exist, just that you shine elsewhere.”

Even if you are one of those “visible” stars, you are still one of millions.

Next time you are in the country, go gaze at the stars.

Think about what you are witnessing right before your eyes.

Think about the cosmos, the complexities of the chemical and nuclear reactions within these gargantuan balls of gas and matter, the immense distance the light is traveling, the ability for our eye to capture light that has been traveling lightyears, the system that allows for our brain to interpret the nerve signals from the eye…the list could go on and on.